׉?4ׁB!בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://dr7xt8uw7IKrbjnzf8PsgcO5XvsUAfOsa1gz-__st_4`׉ 7cassandra://1S3qIthu83i68V-qGlVd9T_hdrscmAarAv235HyCSP4m`U׉ 7cassandra://3nxqXDTqS8cu0BPfT1SUed9TlePUt6WKd8HQc3seEjo( `̶hވx<@טu׈];׈Ehވx<@׉Epeek edition October/November/December 2025 free ofcharge, not for sale aboo music & subcultmagazine quarterly publishedmusic magazine 50 EMMON ENZOKREFT YOURLIFEONHOLD WHISPERS INTHESHADOW ZWAREMACHINE BEAUTIFULFREAKIN'WEIRDO REDLORRYYELLOWLORRY DARKDEMO(N)S2025 ׉ 7cassandra://3nxqXDTqS8cu0BPfT1SUed9TlePUt6WKd8HQc3seEjo( `̶hވx<@hވx<@בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://_yTB0efjOYhnp3lVCL4K4sKjI4Rrx9MCJZbWm_d0vuAm`׉ 7cassandra://xoS9pxjsarCnOaYYsVkAOpCBY67L3_H2YC2ItsIEbX0͉j`U׉ 7cassandra://Y1p5wf2fVYtTTSxbXN3qUN3o5jPIIEUY6Y51AfgYzek0v`̶hވx<@טu׉׉ 7cassandra://BUBp0IXphng0QBLpr4huX-uJnEhgeccNcbEnZc_SliM\`׉ 7cassandra://XtYK37C3m9AueYHxtVszlkrJ3W3LjMIL2iklWOonHbMu`U׉ 7cassandra://WVtpeW_Xqwy5tEBpuVVy7pou33SI7veyNgF9DL4A_X0#`̶hވx<@נhx<@сE9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנhx<@Ёia9ׁH#mailto:promo@peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנhx<@ρc9ׁH%mailto:contact@peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנhx<@΁=rQ 9ׁHhttp://www.PortaNigra.euׁ ׁ Јנhx<@́=XD9ׁHhttp://www.infrarot.deׁ ׁ Јנhx<@́=@Q 9ׁHhttp://www.gothville.comׁ ׁ Јנhx<@ˁ='T9ׁHhttp://www.darkentries.beׁ ׁ Јנhx<@ʁ=X9ׁHhttp://www.bunkerleute.beׁ ׁ Јנhx<@Ɂ=W9ׁHhttp://www.darkballoon.beׁ ׁ Јנhx<@ȁ=܁P 9ׁHhttp://www.BodyBeats.beׁ ׁ Јנhx<@ǁ-]P 9ׁHmailto:info@bodybeats.beׁ ׁ Јנhx<@Ɓ b 9ׁHhttp://www.LeFantastique.netׁ ׁ Јנhx<@Ł Q 9ׁHhttp://www.PortaNigra.euׁ ׁ Јנhx<@ā P 9ׁHhttp://www.BodyBeats.beׁ ׁ Јנhx<@ÁՁ̢ 9ׁH&mailto:peek-a-boo-magazine@proximus.beׁ ׁ Ј׉E!www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 2 - ׉ 7cassandra://Y1p5wf2fVYtTTSxbXN3qUN3o5jPIIEUY6Y51AfgYzek0v`̶hވx<@׉Empeek aboo contents music &moviemagazine 01. EMMON © Daniel Kwon 04. Interview ENZO KREFT 08. 12. 14. 16. 18. 23. InterviewYOUR LIFE ON HOLD Reviews InterviewWHISPERS INTHE SHADOW Interview EMMON Interview ZWAREMACHINE Want to support your sene & contribute to our magazine? English, Dutch, French, German … It’s all good! Come and join us and send an e-mail to: peek-a-boo-magazine@proximus.be peek aboo music &moviemagazine ORGANISATION BODYBEATS PRODUCTIONS Marleen MASTBOOMS www.BodyBeats.be PORTA NIGRA Peter Verreycken www.PortaNigra.eu LE FANTASTIQUE Frédéric COTTON www.LeFantastique.net YOUR ORGANISATION HERE? Join us & support (y)our scene! WE NEEDYOU! Peek-a-Boo is always looking for new partners, distributors, writers, editors and translators. 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(Antwerp) www.BodyBeats.be DARK BALLOON (Retie) www.darkballoon.be BUNKERLEUTE (Leuven) www.bunkerleute.be DARK ENTRIESMAGAZINE (B) www.darkentries.be GOTHVILLE (Hasselt) www.gothville.com INFRAROT (Germany) www.infrarot.de PORTA NIGRA (Aarschot) www.PortaNigra.eu CONCEPT / WEBSITE Ward DE PRINS (RIP) Peek-A-Boo Magazine • Heilig Geesthoek 87A • BE-2070 • Zwijndrecht • Contact: contact@peek-a-boo-magazine.be / Promo: promo@peek-a-boo-magazine.be www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://WVtpeW_Xqwy5tEBpuVVy7pou33SI7veyNgF9DL4A_X0#`̶hވx<@hވx<@בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://PiymxmMO30j29QcHXpYQqMBEqNdQfGihOywdo6IlvEo-`׉ 7cassandra://HMHmAbvypwJUc_t4c8tV9T_fFpv1bSmkydVTz_bUMHM{`U׉ 7cassandra://0jJvNjtSO8q8HIhKmBJ0HPltLz--1EkJlLjDs5qa5mA%`̶hx<@טu׉׉ 7cassandra://JC4oBFB0Yq9gYAq-4bhdGc2eAlo4oRn5w3eN9-SqsuwL`׉ 7cassandra://VMh6k_4qgocj2VwUjLwb74MV_b5ERvPGFXzM8gVRa6k#`U׉ 7cassandra://7SxGrWfgOhuM2a8rUh-Jcqt8EfpDymYbH15Q7vYIA3I3`̶hx<@ӓנhx<@E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנhx<@1 9ׁHhttp://society.Thׁ ׁ Јנhx<@$ 9ׁHhttp://media.Inׁ ׁ Ј׉EENZO KREFT Enzo Kreft has a new album out, and just like his previous albums, it is a committed concept album. This time he addresses the theme of dictatorship, and the album is aptly called: ‘Dictator’. We know by now that Enzo Kreft always seriously delves into the themes he addresses, and that he really has something to say about them. That is why we previously asked Enzo Kreft to explain the various songs on the album, each of which represents a separate dimension of the overall picture. But we also wanted to go deeper around this theme, and asked Enzo Kreft a number of more philosophical questions. Enzo Kreft was happy to take on the challenge, and so an interview followed that is more about political philosophy than about music. Hi Enzo, we absolutely love your latest album ‘Dictator’. When I was at your performance in Antwerp, I asked you if you wanted to do a more philosophical interview with questions about democracy and dictatorship. I immediately said that I would ask questions that I myself do not have an answer to, but that I would like to debate.Thanks for agreeing to this. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 4 - Let’s start at the beginning: what made you make an album around the concept of dictatorship? The current geopolitical developments, the rise of new authoritarian leaders worldwide, censorship and growing polarization evoke the feeling that we are moving towards a repressive society again. I felt the absolute necessity to do something with this. ‘Dictator’ has become an indictment against conformism and silent obedience. Dictatorship is sometimes a difficult concept. How do you define dictatorship, and how do you define its opposite, democracy? Are there also shades of gray between dictatorship and democracy, in your opinion? Absolutely. The opposition between dictatorship and democracy is not a black-and-white issue: there is a whole spectrum of intermediate forms. Many political systems in the world are somewhere in the gray area between these two extremes. It is therefore important to recognize these gray values, to recognize creeping slides from democracy to authoritarianism. It prevents us from oversimplifying systems: a country can be ׉ 7cassandra://0jJvNjtSO8q8HIhKmBJ0HPltLz--1EkJlLjDs5qa5mA%`̶hވx<@׉Eformally democratic, but functionally repressive. Freedom is fragile and must be defended constantly. In a totalitarian dictatorship, the state controls every aspect of life: media, education, religion, and even your private life. There is only one ideology, and fear, violence, and indoctrination are used as instruments. In a full-fledged democracy, however, elections are organized in a decent way, you have an independent judiciary, freedom of the press, civil liberties, and a separation of powers. Dictatorships come in many forms, both far-right and far-left. Fascism and communism have both done a lot of damage to humanity. Do you think it is permissible to compare both? What differences and similarities do you see between the different types of dictatorships, and what nuances do you think we should understand? Both far-right and far-left dictatorships are authoritarian and use repression. Leaders are seen as godlike figures and the population is brainwashed by propaganda through education and media.In that sense, you can compare both with each other and see parallels. The differences between the two are in ideology. Fascism is nationalistic and racist. It glorifies war, statement, but putting it into practice seems to be very difficult. At what point does someone become intolerant, and what is the right way to respond to this? With complete tolerance you indeed undermine tolerance in the long run, so it is necessary that you as a society are intolerant towards intolerance. I think that you can really speak of intolerance when people systematically and actively advocate the abolition of democracy, undermine human rights and do not grant certain population groups the right to exist. Take social media for example, where messages regularly appear in which minorities, such as Muslims, Jews or LGBTQ+ people, are dehumanized. Very often, such messages spread calls for violence, under the guise of ‘freedom of speech’. As a society, you have to respond to this, by, among other things, fact-checking, debate and education. In extreme cases, the courts must act to protect the rule of law. Freedom of speech is not a free pass for calling for violence or discrimination. Appropriate responses to this must be proportionate, legally substantiated and democratic. That is a difficult balancing act, because a government or social media platform must be careful not to ban every dissenting or critical voice under the guise of ‘intolerance’. Dictatorships come in many forms, both farright and far-left. Fascism and communism have both done a lot of damage to humanity discipline and the nation state. Communism in its Stalinist or Maoist form is based on class struggle, anticapitalism and the ideal of a classless society.That ideal rarely remained intact in reality. They also differ economically: fascist regimes often allow private property, but under heavy state control: corporatism. Communist regimes nationalize the means of production and try to abolish private property. Socially, fascism focuses on ethnicity, race and national unity, while communism focuses on class, economic equality and international solidarity. It is important to realize that there is a danger in all forms of totalitarianism, regardless of their ideological color. The extreme right and the extreme left can both lead to inhuman conditions. One of the great thinkers on dictatorship and democracy is the Austrian Karl Popper, author of the book ‘The Open Society and its Enemies’. Popper is best known for his ‘paradox of tolerance’: in order to remain tolerant, a society must be intolerant of intolerance. Instinctively, many people agree with this - 5 - Every dictatorship needs a certain amount of support from the population. Usually a dictatorship has a lot of support at the start, but can survive with the support of a minority if it manages security services and crucial jobs well. On ‘Dictator’ you deal with the themes of repression (‘Chains of Silence’, ‘Penal Colony’) and propaganda (‘Propaganda Parade’). How do you think a minority manages to keep a majority in check? A minority can indeed keep a majority in check by brutal repression, but especially by a clever combination of power techniques. Fear is essential in this, but is reinforced by division among the population, control over information and media, and through deliberately making people dependent economically. Repression does not have to be massive: if it is selective and visible, it is often enough to silence the rest of the population. What makes these strategies effective, is that they not only break physical resistance, but also undermine thinking, trust and the sense of togetherness. This creates a situation in which people adapt, remain silent. or even coperate, even though they form the majority. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://7SxGrWfgOhuM2a8rUh-Jcqt8EfpDymYbH15Q7vYIA3I3`̶hވx<@hވx<@בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://xmF0yxJArIfguCG3BqSigsGalfgFGGvY3M90GN9fV-g`׉ 7cassandra://RkpDjYgEDFcu_mu0vw20nUi9vMOmC_gHd0wPMS2JcUcͰ`U׉ 7cassandra://8chMNtJmtNSzVaHgCV2zjP2eGNsVDqEYfbddip3svj8/`̶hx<@טu׉׉ 7cassandra://LebCjd65kH4TKcVuW5ayUDVv5ufWgyO6h5GPdT-WQlA`׉ 7cassandra://xFQEqDmbj30pJvtYQgch53JP_RTMPNLjPGNig8ZlDggm`U׉ 7cassandra://u4nr57Ub327va8Nmuk2BVJDjIsmWc5X2jLcE_5wb-f8)`̶hx<@ّנhx<@E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉ERENZOKREFT the media, suppressed the opposition and manipulated elections. Things went from bad to worse: constitutional changes allowed Putin to remain in power until at least 2036 and the repression of dissidents became totalitarian. So you can call Russia a dictatorship without exaggeration. Putin’s war against Ukraine is not only a geopolitical aggression, but also an ideological attack on the idea of an independent, democratic post-Soviet state on Russia’s border. Ukraine did choose democratization, which the Kremlin saw as existentially threat. In the years 1989-1990we saw a great wave of mostly peaceful revolutions towards democratic regimes. Communism fell in Eastern Europe and part of Asia, but also in Latin America and South Africa there was a wave of democratization. Little seems to remain of the enthusiasm of that time. Do you think we will see new waves of democratization? Yes, new waves of democratization are certainly possible, but they are not self-evident. The context has changed completely since 1989. Real change will probably not come from above or from the West, but from below, through young people, local movements and citizen networks. History has shown that dictatorships never have the last word, but also that democracy is no guarantee unless continued efforts are made. In some countries, the turnaround has not been successful. I am thinking of countries like Russia, Venezuela and Nicaragua. I propose to stick to the country that is most prominently in the news: Russia. Although there was a democratic experiment in Russia, that was put aside under Putin, and we can certainly say since 2020 that the country is a dictatorship once again, which also attacked the much more democratic Ukraine in 2022. How do you look at such developments? I watch such developments with dismay. Russian politics since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 shows how fragile democratic experiments can be. After the fall, there initially seemed to be a democratic wind blowing under Yeltsin. Unfortunately, political chaos quickly undermined confidence in that new democracy. In that climate, Putin emerged as a leader who promised stability. However, since taking office in 1999, he has systematically centralized power, completely paralyzed www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 6 - On your record, but also in the background images that you use live, we also see various references to the American president Donald Trump. I myself always shudder a bit at comparisons between Trump and dictators like Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin, and even more when he’s compared with Hitler or Stalin. Although Trump is, in my eyes, an extreme right-wing demagogue, the United States is still a democracy, and the comparison does not apply to me. What is the purpose of your references to Trump? The live visuals with references to Trump are not a literal comparison with dictators like Kim Jong-un or Putin, but they do show how authoritarian tendencies can also arise within democracies. I think for example of undermining the press, spreading disinformation, sowing distrust towards independent institutions... these are dangerous patterns. My work does not want to make a historical judgment, but it does sound an alarm bell: this can also happen here,and it often starts subtly.We must remain vigilant. The reason I am so sensitive to this is that I see a danger in anti-Americanism. If you look at the people who support dictatorships in the West today, you see that they are often virulently anti-American. They caricature the United States to argue in favor of dictatorships. What do you think about this? I am not anti-American, but I am critical of power structures, whether they are in Russia, China or the US. The problem arises when any criticism of the United States is immediately dismissed as support for dictatorships. That is a false dichotomy. We must maintain the ability to make the West look in the mirror, without being pushed into the camp of Putin or Xi. My work tries to make that tension visible: between freedom and control, propaganda and truth, regardless of where they come from. Xavier KRUTH <<<<<< Follow Enzo Kreft on Facebook ׉ 7cassandra://8chMNtJmtNSzVaHgCV2zjP2eGNsVDqEYfbddip3svj8/`̶hވx<@׉E!- 7 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://u4nr57Ub327va8Nmuk2BVJDjIsmWc5X2jLcE_5wb-f8)`̶hވx<@hވx<@בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://9MuOGQkx48n3V4KhrBb095NOsjugymsEkaPvsFaSQdw_`׉ 7cassandra://V4d4RSdMNi-x6n9atsMwOt6y-NzXILYkL9sG6k-mOjc͵`U׉ 7cassandra://w5KxuxK9VXhHM0wcW0xl4Si-bOALEraX2SRsVU1qkSM1`̶hx<@טu׉׉ 7cassandra://awFQyA8miPUNJ-o4v_KmGrgI53E-fLF28Sjppn6Zcl4; `׉ 7cassandra://sP8Qb7XZOzLDhhOIKYW2XjVylffmk3KNY02ckVGtm1w͔`U׉ 7cassandra://ghwalfEupdsYdE73cv443LmX6J2Ftiev0rrmzrIv9Fs+a`̶hx<@נhx<@E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉EYOUR LIFE ON HOLD Your Life On Hold is the gothic rock project of John Wolf, aka Jan Dewulf whom you may also know from Mildreda or Diskonnekted, or maybe even from Dream Cycle Inc. or J Wølf. It was about time that Dark Entries had another chat with this versatile musician, and the performance of Your Life On Hold at the Dark Entries Night of May 10, 2025 offers us a good excuse to extract a confession from Dewulf again. Hello Jan – or should we say John Wolf? –we are very happy to welcome you to the next Dark Entries Night on May 10 with Your Life On Hold. We had talked about this before, but then you answered me that the stage of the Kinky Star might be too small for a group of six musicians. When I heard that you are now playing with a line-up of three musicians, I was of course happy that you accepted my renewed invitation. Tell me how it is that you are now playing with a limited line-up? The trio setup was a practical necessity. But let me immediately add that the six-piece lineup hasn’t been scrapped entirely. It's currently on hold, but we’ll definitely hit the stage as a six-piece again – closer to achieve. When did you start, and how did that evolution go? We need to go back in time a bit for this. With Diskonnekted, I went through a personal musical evolution that started somewhere around the turn of the millennium—from enthusiastic novice to seasoned producer. You can clearly hear that progression when you compare the first and last Diskonnekted albums. The growth is tremendous. Our live shows also became increasingly professional, especially once we started incorporating guitars, which gave the sound a much more organic feel. Gradually, the idea began to take shape to wipe the slate clean and start something entirely new. That’s when the first seed of Your Life On Hold was planted. In the beginning, the focus was still very much on electronics, but that changed drastically when my life – due to various circumstances – literally came to a standstill. You could call it a midlife crisis. That’s when I decided to fully embrace a gothic rock sound. It felt like a necessity. Never before had demons been exorcised so spontaneously and effortlessly as during the making of that first album. Writing songs is my way of exorcising my devils. home, that is. The trio mainly came about so we could play further abroad. With six people, conflicting schedules and other commitments always made that impossible. With three, it works. That way, we’ve already played in Prague and the UK, and at the end of last month, we headed to Erfurt. To put it simply: with six, we sound more like the Fields; with three, more like the Sisters. Prague, Corrosion Fest and Erfurt were a blast, so Kinky Star is going to be great too! In the meantime, the trio has become a quartet: Mika from This Morn’ Omina will be joining us on bass for shows far from home—or at Kinky Star. Oh, and by the way, John Wolf? That’s the name I use when I make gothic rock. When I wanted to look up the start of Your Life On Hold, I came out in 2017. The debut ‘Burning for the ancient connection’ was released then. But when I read an older interview, it turns out that there was a longer search for the new sound that you wanted to www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 8 - You were immediately picked up by Solar Lodge, the label of Artaud Seth of Merciful Nuns and Garden of Delight. That is of course a quality label when it comes to gothic rock. How did that collaboration come about, and how is it still going? Back then, I had the feeling I’d made some strong demos, but the way things took off exceeded even my wildest dreams. I remember sending Artaud two demos, and that very same day he welcomed me to Solar Lodge. You can imagine the little jump for joy I did. The collaboration has gone smoothly ever since. I really appreciate the strong and unique identity of the label, and I’m proud to be part of it with Your Life On Hold. The second album ‘My name is legion for we are many’ followed quite quickly, already in 2018. How do you explain that this went so quickly? It was a highly inspiring period in which making music felt like a necessity. I was going through a personal ׉ 7cassandra://w5KxuxK9VXhHM0wcW0xl4Si-bOALEraX2SRsVU1qkSM1`̶hވx<@׉E )transformation, and creating music became both an outlet and a grateful channel to process a flood of emotions and thoughts. The fact that I was able to write so much music in such a short time had everything to do with that. The third album, ‘Echoes from the bardo’ from 2020, refers very explicitly to the Buddhist concept of bardo, the transitional state in which a soul resides between death and rebirth. You also continued to work on the concept of bardo with Mildred in Oblivion, your dark ambient project that we have not heard anything about for a while. What attracted you to the concept of the bardo to make different records around it? How did the concept take shape in the different records that were inspired by it? I came across the term in the novel ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’ by George Saunders – not even that great of a book, to be honest – but Saunders had stripped the concept of its original Buddhist connotation, and I found that intriguing. Detached from any religious undertone, it becomes a powerful symbol for any transitional phase or pause in life – between stages, between relationships, between darker days and better ones, and so on. It’s actually the very core of what Your Life On Hold is about. The fact that I later carried the concept over to Mildred in Oblivion just worked out - 9 - nicely. I mean, how do you even name instrumental dark ambient tracks without sounding unintentionally ridiculous? The bardo concept fit perfectly. (laughs) By the way, I really hope to create new Mildred in Oblivion material someday—but unfortunately, I haven’t found the time yet. With Your Life On Hold, you also released two EPs during the corona years: the ‘Lockdown EP’ in 2020 and ‘Imprisoned and exorcised’ in 2021. Did you really feel like your life was put ‘on hold’ during that period? I remember suffering more from a broken relationship during that period than from the whole COVID rollercoaster. The world had come to a standstill, but my own world did so in a very different way. That said, I think everyone’s life was ‘on hold’ back then to some extent. It was a strange time – especially tough, I imagine, for both the young and the elderly. As for me, I’ve always been a bit of a hermit by nature, so being at home wasn’t all that bad. I ended up making a ridiculous amount of music. After that infamous breakup, I wrote both a Mildreda and a Dive album as a kind of counter-reaction. And yes, two Your Life On Hold EPs as well. Like I said before – writing songs is how I exorcise my demons. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://ghwalfEupdsYdE73cv443LmX6J2Ftiev0rrmzrIv9Fs+a`̶hވx<@hވx<@בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://8WEalyT9TYykl7bui1_8USE3HoVASsdN_iT54oOI570`׉ 7cassandra://8xx2jNgoQ_Ero1xche_qCKFaqb5UZFYOhIqlR6WACNcͷ`U׉ 7cassandra://0YwZhR8TdraFQFlPf5qNBfM_nx1Oy2T3Oqdrp2lPyNE/B`̶hx<@טu׉׉ 7cassandra://MFmIi5-l7DW5Ro3RJX6wUemnv_2iztXwwe_qDzv7DVsA`׉ 7cassandra://Jc3Fl4smCT8XRZSsCxsidAL_zUwew5daPt4BvZhYyIci`U׉ 7cassandra://pgLlhnRReYQCwN-Dzr32PfWCm-iug48OzZQJNcEEFIk*`̶hx<@נh&x<@E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉E@YOUR LIFEONHOLD After 2021, you seem to have put more work into your electro project Mildreda, with which you released ‘I Was Never Really There’ in 2021, and ‘Blue-Devilled’ in 2023. Are you satisfied with how these records were received? Yes, I’m genuinely happy with how things are going. Mildreda is doing really well. The label deal with Dependent really got things moving –and it’s still going strong.We get to play abroad quite often, and each time we manage to win over new souls.We’re putting in a lot of effort to keep evolving and growing with Mildreda.At the moment,we’re working on a new album. You have always been very active. I remember that in the 90s, in addition to your own work with Mildreda, you even had your own label on which you released numerous bands. Can you tell us a bit more about what you did with this at the time? Although Side-Line once called us the most interesting tape label of the moment back in the ’90s, it was mostly just fumbling around. I used to photocopy the covers at a copy shop and then cut and fold them at home. It was pure DIY.With Cyberflesh Productions, we did release a few compilations where we dared to color outside the lines a bit. But I wouldn’t go as far as calling any of it legendary. In hindsight, it probably all seems more charming and adventurous than it really was. When I reread an older interview, I read that in 2009 you performed in De Klinke, the garden house of Geert ‘Chesko’ Vandekerkhof of Der Klinke, who actually lives around the corner from you. That evening Dirk Ivens –known fromThe Klinik, Dive and Absolute Body Control – was also present as DJ. The performance was the impetus to restart your old project Mildreda. Are these the kind of nights that change your life? Although Mildreda had always lingered in the back of my mind, I’d never seriously considered reviving it – until that one evening. That night, we played the old material using my trusty Yamaha PSR 2700, just like back in 1996. And to my surprise, not only did the audience enjoy it –I did too.That’s when things started rolling. Shortly after, we played a real show in Bruges, invited by The Batcave, which was organizing a lot of cool gigs in the city back in the 90s and was celebrating some kind of anniversary. Then Bernt from The Black Cave reached out to book a show as well, and that’s when I truly started working on what would eventually become ‘Coward Philosophy’. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 10 - I actually ask that question because you still seem to regularly collaborate with Der Klinke, the main project of Chesko. Tell me what that collaboration consists of? Chesko occasionally comes knocking to have some tracks mixed, and I often end up doing a bit of extra production and programming as well. It’s a collaboration that grew organically. We’re neighbors and good friends, after all. Even more impressive is that you wrote the music for the Dive album ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’ from 2020. Dive is a real legend, so I suspect Dirk Ivens must have been really impressed by your work to approach you for this. How did that collaboration go? The collaboration and friendship with Dirk Ivens is something that has grown over the years. Our paths first crossed in the mid90s when he included Mildreda on his ‘Even Dogs in the Wild’ compilation, which gave a platform to emerging Belgian bands. We kept bumping into each other, and when I asked him in 2007 to do vocals on Diskonnekted’s ‘Frozen’, it quickly led to a full ‘Dive vs. Diskonnekted’ EP. After that, the desire to do more together never really went away. So about a decade later, it started with just one demo – then another – and before we knew it, it had turned into a full-fledged album. Things just click in the studio. We understand each other quickly, and with Dirk’s lyrics and vocals, everything tends to fall into place almost instantly. With the last question I also want to look to the future. It has been a while since you released new workwith Your Life On Hold, but in a chat you did hint that you were working on new songs. How is that going? Are you working on a new record? Will you also play new songs on the Dark Entries Night? I’m indeed working on a new record, though at this point it’s still just rough sketches. Sound-wise, the new album will lean more towards a stripped-down setup— think drum machine-driven gothic rock. I want to create something tight and melodic. And once again, I’ve got plenty of demons to exorcise! (laughs) Xavier KRUTH www.yourlifeonhold.com www.facebook.com/yourlifeonhold https://yourlifeonhold.bandcamp.com ׉ 7cassandra://0YwZhR8TdraFQFlPf5qNBfM_nx1Oy2T3Oqdrp2lPyNE/B`̶hވx<@׉E"- 11 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://pgLlhnRReYQCwN-Dzr32PfWCm-iug48OzZQJNcEEFIk*`̶hވx<@hވx<@בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://U5F0aBtv-Q9HqeJ2C2T6FkXjTNJX4COGuprVKuGL4j4`׉ 7cassandra://jSMEf2PpIt1Y4kt2Miti81scFKxITommNarKeH9OSCIͶ`U׉ 7cassandra://bHbKoViKSddgim9twjNVZlDnxBliQFDSMm2xCgEkkDE0`̶hx<@טu׉׉ 7cassandra://pRVgJ_aOCBkvVeEM_GZgFBC0Z_KZNKtduAqXA3lAQhsJY`׉ 7cassandra://hzwlzYZBFe4BJShHtex3IEwQYzC4SOQNt3CmeKy4ZLs]k`U׉ 7cassandra://bb8nIuajd46sFg53P7oHvZKMGiW7bh1I9rfUoPyRVAA&/`̶hx<@נhx<@E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉EBLACK RAIN - BLACK RAIN (Vinyl/Digital) (Self-Released) Black Rain, you might not have heard of them yet as they first start to draw breath in 2024. They do however are a band to keep your shadow-dwelling-eyes on. With Josh Cowey (vocals & guitar), Mick Christen (drums) and and Scott Hays (bass) as the band line-up, what they unleash is freshly-sharpened double-edged Post-Punk. Aggressive and unrelenting but with a fresh take on the classic sound. July 14th you will be able to experience this for yourself; because this is when Black Rain’s debut album will see the dead of night. Too Goth to be Punk. Too Punk to be Goth. ‘Black Rain’ comprises 5 studio tracks and 4 raw live performances. The album will be available on all major streaming platforms, with limited edition vinyl LP and cassette for collectors who crave something tangible. [HC]. GHOSTING - All Your Dreams (EP (Digital)) (Dark Dimensions) Ghosting is revived.And how! Sasha has returned to creating haunting anthems and the most recent result; the ‘All Your Dreams’ EP. Sascha: I decided to create (yet another) classic Goth Rock song. The lyrics are, as always, subtle. I usually do not like lyrics that are too obvious about their topic. I chose to publish ‘Amphetamine Logic’ by The Sisters of Mercy, simply because I love this song, and I never dared to cover it –because it already IS perfect the way it is! The third song is a ballad. I've always liked my ballades way more than my dance songs, but as destiny and fate do not really care what one wants, my ballades never gathered any attention. This particular one, ‘Beyond Repair’, deals with the unfortunate struggle many mentally imbalanced people have to cope with in addition to their mental instability,the usual remarks of mentally better balanced people like "Buckle up!", or "Meditate, and all will be all right."The lyrics, imho, clearly say: No, it's not.”‘All Your Dreams’ is a 4-tracks EP dipped in ‘oldschool’ Post-Punk style. 4 tracks (including a bonus single edit) with typical 80s instrumentation electric guitars, electric bass and 12-string acoustics. Characterized by Sascha's unmistakable, gladly genre alien compositional technique. Shadowy dark,mystifying, and indispensable, a ‘must-have’ for your Chiropteran-themed music collection. [HC]. ENZO KREFT - Dictator (CD/Digital) (Self-Released) After more than 30 years, Enzo Kreft is still delivering at a high level in the electro scene. And he's just as critical as ever. Enzo Kreft pours his musical wrath over a wide range of topics: the environment, injustice, violence, threats... and now it’s about those who see themselves as a kind of Übermensch. The dictators who, at any cost, impose their will on others, declaiming their intentions with grand words and oppressing the masses in the process.*Dictator* loudly and clearly expresses where Enzo Kreft stands on this. It hits him hard. It makes him angry. Furious, even. And right now, Enzo Kreft is exactly the kind of artist who can channel that rage, wrapped in masterfully crafted synthwave with occasional touches of EBM, into an album.You 'feel' it.With each listen, the anger seeps in a little deeper. Even though he's not the type to scream his rage like some other bands do. No, in his unique, characteristic way, he ladles it directly into your brain. He has delivered yet another remarkable album. One long, critical, and indignant voice rings out. Musically diverse, thematically direct. [JB] ARBEID ADELT! - Herrie (Cassette/Digital) (Starman Records) HERRIE! is the third release byArbeid Adelt! since their comeback in 2015,after Slik (2022) and Het Heelal Is Hier (2023). This time it is a 20-minute cassette containing four songs, and is being released in a limited edition.You can safely call the songs on HERRIE! all 'typicallyArbeid Adelt!' call,with their mix of electro and accessible industrial sounds, and all this with lyrics by Marcel Vanthilt,who at retirement age still sounds as witty and absurd as he did at 24,with this time songs about noise polution, money (or the lack thereof), and bisexuality. So you're up to date again. The title of this tape is spelled in capital letters, with an exclamation mark after it. The band name always had an exclamationmark.And this is all in its place here.HERRIE! is the third good Arbeid Adelt! release in a row since their reunion.Try to see them live too in the next couple of months, it's worth it. [JBC] www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 12 - Read full reviews on http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/reviews/ ׉ 7cassandra://bHbKoViKSddgim9twjNVZlDnxBliQFDSMm2xCgEkkDE0`̶hވx<@׉E"- 13 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://bb8nIuajd46sFg53P7oHvZKMGiW7bh1I9rfUoPyRVAA&/`̶hވx<@hވx<@בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://KSUGtETi8H5Zzp4CKufM5MvA6Nr9KhbYRjqdHHHYFk4#g`׉ 7cassandra://sUTQa2__mqqK3SymvTieeXMdRJgpRvJnj3AeWZmzhew͸p`U׉ 7cassandra://fAACKQ3imaS4ku3c1Xs8E9LjPp0Tkw2FqcYSCsooVWU1h`̶hx<@טu׉׉ 7cassandra://6pAjdhdAHn1iLfm-IoS00A5Td3AUWlCq2LY9mcFeiqoq`׉ 7cassandra://AQrVYjFdTLF8bntRr02JkQCDLSPUX6X49hU59X34JJc`U׉ 7cassandra://0fGC3mUB9Nv3dqko9FrlisCrW-uL-kdG1G0XOL-3vAc0`̶hx<@נh2x<@$E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנh2x<@##m̪ 9ׁH+http://www.facebook.com/WhispersInTheShadowׁ ׁ Јנh2x<@"_ 9ׁH5http://whispersintheshadow.bandcamp.com/album/raptureׁ ׁ Јנh2x<@!JQ̃ 9ׁH#http://www.whispersintheshadow.com/ׁ ׁ Јנh2x<@ ) 9ׁHhttp://for.Anׁ ׁ Јנh2x<@/̟% 9ׁHhttp://it.Thׁ ׁ Ј׉E%WHISPERS INTHE SHADOW stumbled across that word and thought: ‘This is it!’ It describes the sound of the music perfectly. I was also intrigued by the fact that it can be interpreted in many different ways. There is not just one meaning. Whispers In The Shadow has released a new studio album, their twelfth. It’s a musically diverse album with several overarching themes. We know the group and frontman Ashley Dayour always have a compelling story to tell, so we asked Dayour a few questions, to which we promptly received answers. Dear Ashley, congratulations on your new record: ‘Rapture’. We love the album. As you have written, it is not a concept album, though it has overarching themes: religion, love, death, and spirituality. Perhaps our readers would like to know how you inserted these themes throughout the record. Thank you! I’m glad you like it. It’s not strictly a concept album, in that it doesn’t have a story arc or ongoing narrative,but there are recurring themes.This time, I just sat down and wrote whatever came into mymind.There was no plan. Like the music, the process was very fluid and natural. And in the end it all made sense as a whole.The longer I do this, the more difficult it becomes to write lyrics. Simply because so much has already been said. But it was easier this time. I also allowed myself to explore some more personal themes. I let down the curtain a bit, so to speak. The title is verywell chosen. I looked up the meaning of ‘Rapture’, and I got three different meanings: extreme pleasure or excitement, a mystical experience, and a specifically Christian interpretation: the transporting of believers to heaven at the second coming of Christ. Tell us more about how you chose this title and what you wanted to convey with it. As has happened many times before, I came up with the actual title of the album very early on. I don’t know why. I www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 14 - You have evolved in the lyrics you write, or at least in the way you want the listeners to understand your lyrics. During the alchemic quadrilogy – the four albums you releases between 2008 and 2014 – you admitted that most of your listeners would not understand your lyrics. However, from ‘The Urgency Of Now’ onwards, it seems you attach more importance to being well understood. Is this a right way to describe your evolution? That’s right.The big one was ‘The Urgency Of Now’,which was full of social commentary. I wrote it in 2017, after Trump got into power. The whole Brexit thing also just happened, and it looked like the rise of the right wing was a done deal. I thought I’d better say something. I need to get all that down on paper. So, for the first time, it was actually important to me that people would understand the meaning of it. On ‘Rapture’, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Some of these songs are meant to be interpreted exactly as I intend, while others are more open to interpretation. I put way more time and effort into writing lyrics from ‘The Urgency Of Now’ onward. From then on, the lyrics were clearer than before. Before, I sometimes even just painted pictures with words, at least in some cases.That’s all right. But I wanted to have a bit more gravitas than that. I knew I could get better at it. I’ll be honest with you, some of the older lyrics, especially from the very early days, are pretty cringe. Let’s look closer to a number of songs on the album. You open with ‘Resume The Pose’, which you described as dealing with ‘the madness of being in a rock band’. Images of ‘Spinal Tab’ came to my mind when I read that, and of course we would all like to know more about the madness you’ve encountered as a rock musician.What drove you to write that song? Spinal Tap: the goth edition. Yeah, that’s pretty much it. I’ve written a few songs about the band in the past. ‘Blood, Sweat & Tears’ from the album ‘The Eternal Arcane’ is one of them. Or ‘Here I Go Again’ on ‘Taste Of Decay’ was another. I thought, well, it’s been a while since I did that. Let’s see how I’d go about it now. It’s pretty tongue-in-cheek. I used some things that happened during all those years on the road, but turned them into metaphors and decoded them. It might be hard for anyone to really get it. I’m not even sure if I do. There you go, that’s the madness! ׉ 7cassandra://fAACKQ3imaS4ku3c1Xs8E9LjPp0Tkw2FqcYSCsooVWU1h`̶hވx<@׉EWhen I first heard ‘Resume The Pose’, I thought the album would build on the predecessor of ‘Rapture’, ‘Ghosts’, an excellent record that was characterized by deep heavy guitars. However, ‘Rapture’ became a very diverse record which reminded me more of the record previous to ‘Ghosts’: ‘Yesterday Is Forever’. You have admitted that you purposely chose ‘Resume The Pose’ to put listeners on the wrong track.Why did you do that? I just love to confuse people. I’m a bit of a jester when it comes to stuff like this. I think it makes it all more exciting. For me and the listeners. I wanted them to have exactly the reaction you had. Their first thought should be: “Yeah, I've sussed it.They’re not doing it any differently this time, I know where this is going.” But then, you’ll probably be surprised by the second track,‘Zealots’,which slows things down a lot and changes the vibe. I want things to stay surprising, which after twelve albums is quite the challenge. But that’s exactly what ‘Resume The Pose’ was designed for.And it obviously worked. It’s a Trojan horse. We know you are a huge Bowie fan, and I asked myself if you are trying in a Bowie vain to renew yourself with each new album. Are you aiming for a new sound or a new central ideal with each new album you make? Yeah, Bowie really influenced how I learned to approach things. I think that’s actually his biggest influence on me. I mean, you can probably hear hints of his musical influences as well. But I got a lot of good stuff from him about what’s important in art and what isn’t.You can truly say he was and still is a big influence in that regard. I'll always remember the day he died. It was pretty traumatic. I cried for days. But even though we’ve had a few stylistic changes over the years, we’ve never strayed too far from our roots like he did. We haven’t recorded any soul music yet, if you know what I mean. It all stayed very much in the actual narrative. It was all very reminiscent of Whispers In The Shadow.But I’m really keen not to repeat myself. I couldn’t write the same album twice, even if I wanted to. Well, maybe I could, but it wouldn’t be very satisfying. There are several references to the bible on ‘Rapture’. I know it’s a personal question, which you don’t have to answer, but are you religious yourself?What importance do you give to the bible? And how does your personal point of views on religion interact with the writing of songs and lyrics about this topic? I do not consider myself to be a religious person. Nevertheless, I would self-identify as a spiritual person. I have to say though, I’m fascinated by all kinds of religions, and I’ve got enough empathy to understand what faith can mean for people. I get the idea of faith, but let’s not forget that organized religion causes a lot of pain in the world, and always has. But don’t worry, this album isn’t about bashing religion and faith. That would be a pretty cheap trick. The Bible is the most successful book ever, - 15 - and whether you like it or not, it influences everyone in the Western world. It’s just the way we’ve been brought up.Our moral understanding, and so on. I think it’s a book full of archetypical allegories that had a big impact on our lives and history,which is a really interesting subject to think and write about. A song that is perhaps central to the theme of the album, is the closer ‘Origin Story’. In it, you refer to the bible story about how the devil tries to seduce Jesus in the desert, but also to William Blake’s ‘The Marriage of Heaven and Hell’. You described the theme of the song as about ‘the eternal struggle between conviction and its corruption’. Can you give us more details about what you meant with that? ‘Origin Story’ is a central tune in many ways, and it’s definitely one of my favorites. The problem with faith or religion is when it becomes an absolute truth. That’s when faith goes wrong. Then the problems begin. You’ll find that you can’t tolerate other people’s views once you get to that point. The question is whether religion can exist without that struggle. So, in the first part of the song, it’s like the Devil is trying to seduce Jesus, but the song is actually written from Satan’s point of view. Then, in the second part, you see that the two are inextricable. It’s like a marriage of convenience, really. You know, William Blake is actually a very enigmatic person. That's why I used his poem as a starting point and borrowed a few things from him here and there. I hope he doesn’t mind. Finally, I cannot finish this interview without asking you about that other project, The Devil & The Universe. I heard there’s a new record coming up with this band, and also a tour. What can we expect from our favorite goats in the coming period? Yeah, our new album,‘Occult Pleasures’, is coming out on 19 September. There are a lot of guests this time. Cagla from Ductape, Aux Animaux, Sven from Then Comes Silence, and the Hungarian witchy electronic act Zsüd. There’s a lot more singing on that one.We’ve got shows lined up well into next year, yes. Also, there’s been a change in the line-up. Stefan left the band last year and now Ezechiel from Prague has joined us on drums and percussion. So, there have been quite a few changes. Xavier KRUTH www.whispersintheshadow.com/ whispersintheshadow.bandcamp.com/album/rapture www.facebook.com/WhispersInTheShadow (Read the complete interview on our website) www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://0fGC3mUB9Nv3dqko9FrlisCrW-uL-kdG1G0XOL-3vAc0`̶hވx<@hވx<@בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://WRBJZCBkVcuj5dAKCHsrQURVufuqWAFrelG5QrCT3IQ`׉ 7cassandra://mAPG44btEUAULmMuhv6v1_IsdkFCpUBF12EOIEcjlF0͚%`U׉ 7cassandra://pHf8WRf6JGsUeICiuaHeswqXQqcyIfb2660r4lu0_x4){`̶hx<@טu׉׉ 7cassandra://A63U_wyX88FLmPJOvEnISwvlLHYgNENA5y7M9fbmqw0`׉ 7cassandra://3QK2X1x0vnSTfgC7zMmfngpbKehWKl7WCq1lheZFyiI}E`U׉ 7cassandra://pCPirkiMLip8lzY6f5ucR6wxPVsr_udFBFMek7hJvKs"`̶hx<@נhx<@.9ׁHhttp://-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉EEMMON - 16 - ׉ 7cassandra://pHf8WRf6JGsUeICiuaHeswqXQqcyIfb2660r4lu0_x4){`̶hވx<@׉E(Photo © Daniel Kwon -a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://pCPirkiMLip8lzY6f5ucR6wxPVsr_udFBFMek7hJvKs"`̶hވx<@hވx<@בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://Uupd0QLopxigzHIfjbfLw6Z9s3cxrxbsIg7PzOXeowQ`׉ 7cassandra://CBdbW9kTsMkMwOnkcgHcJGUo4rpw6sUROro613badQg͊I`U׉ 7cassandra://nE_AOyYhpdcJQWaljVAsUjfLzTKTl4yR4nBYsHtoYpk'`̶hx<@ טu׉׉ 7cassandra://7AhJCGSB57_goKO369T7-7AMfah48SbGc2F1rl7TpUQv`׉ 7cassandra://FgQhNMVAGWU0fqibt7v9FBHO9RC6lEg81Z7sv2Gqh8ó `U׉ 7cassandra://23iMCSmeEqnHbNZ9uDRnvPQXp1cZ2ydzPzc7UdoLvCU#`̶h!x<@נh3x<@%E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉E ZWAREMACHINE Zwaremachine is an EBM and industrial band from Minneapolis, United States. Over the next three weeks, the group will be touring Europe, with a number of dates in Belgium and the Netherlands. Incidentally, the band will consist of two Americans and two Dutch members.We also know Zwaremachine as the band Bas Mercx, also known as Dein Offizier, played in until his tragic death from leukemia in August 2023. All these interesting elements make it possible to let singercomposer Mach FoX tell his story. Hi Mach. You are touring Europe in the coming weeks with Zwaremachine. How did this tour came to be? Thank you Xavier for this interview. Zwaremachine had started booking shows in central Europe since the precovid period. We wanted to continue with our new lineup and book our 2025 tour dates to promote some recent singles that we have released and to continue to build audiences those areas. Can you tell us how Zwaremachine was formed? I had originally written and recorded a song titled ‘The Zwaremachine’ in 2011 and released it under the name Raumschiff on a German netlabel.That song was a bit of an experiment in sequencing a more electro-industrial style music. I liked the sounds and decided to pursue a solo project along those lines which would become Zwaremachine. I performed the first few Zwaremachine shows with a dj and myself. Later in 2017 I focused on writing and performing the songs that would become the first Zwaremachine album ‘Be A Light’. By then I had decided to add an electronic percussionist and synth player in order to fill out the live sound. It’s not surprising that you come to Europe, since you have European musicians performing in the band. Let’s first talk about Bas Merxc, aka Dein Offizier, who was a percussionist in Zwaremachine. How did he join the band, and what was his role in the band? Bas was friends with Kitty Sommer, a Dutch DJ who manages and books the band, and he had seen me perform a solo Zwaremachine show at the Nieuwe Nor Heerlen. We met and became online friends. I saw him posting really cool pics on social media from his percussion groups. He looked so badass in those pics that I decided to ask him to join the band on electronic drums, but he said he would prefer to play his surdo drum. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 18 - Shortly after we booked a Zwaremachine tour in Europe, we had one rehearsal together and left the same day for our first show together in France. At the rehearsal he was pounding his drum and singing along and I knew I made the right decision. We quickly became friends on that tour and I learned about his dedication,passion and humor. Shortly after that I was able to come the Netherlands and record his drum for our second full length album ׉ 7cassandra://nE_AOyYhpdcJQWaljVAsUjfLzTKTl4yR4nBYsHtoYpk'`̶hވx<@׉E WBy this time we had been performing as a trio with the addition of Dbot on bass guitar. In October 2022, while Bas was in remission,we were able to do some shows in the Netherlands. During that time we were making plans as a band about how to approach the writing and recording of the next album. I had intended for all three members to contribute more than in the past. I really felt we were becoming a strong unit with this lineup and we were all looking forward to the future. We were able to secure the support slot for Front 242. Everything was looking positive until Bas’s cancer reemerged and there were complications. As the date became closer, we realized he may not be fit enough to join us on stage. But we never expected he would not be there with us in some way, even if it wasn't for the whole set. Through conversations he had made it clear that no matter what happened he wanted us to continue on with the band. Shortly before the concert he unfortunately passed away and we were devastated. I was able to move my flight up and attend his funeral which I felt was very important to pay my respects to a dear friend and bandmate. Personally for me it was the hardest and most surreal gig I have ever played. I know that bassist Dbot had a hard time as well.We honored Bas by having his drum and cap on stage with a spotlight and the final song of our set was dedicated to him with special visuals as well. I think the performance meant a lot to his friends who were there. For Dbot and I it was the best way we could say goodbye. ‘Conquest 3000’. I had expected his drum to become such an important element of our sound moving forward. With the addition of electric bass guitar and an acoustic drum we were able to create our own sound in the ebm/industrial style which we were proud of. Unfortunately, Bas died in August 2023, shortly before you could play as an opener for EBM-legend Front 242. How did this loss affect Zwaremachine? - 19 - You have more musicians coming from the Netherlands, like Paul K and Marschal B. Tell us how this connection was established and how you came to play with these musicians? I had met Paul K the first time I performed a Zwaremachine show in Europe since he was friends with Kitty and one of his bands was also on that show. We became friends at that time and stayed in touch after that. Marshal B and I met at a Zwaremachine concert shortly after the Front 242 gig which he had attended. He had recently joined Vuduvox on electronic percussion at the same time that I was trying to figure out the lineup and instrumentation for the band moving forward. We discussed having them both join Zwaremachine and performed for the first time together in February 2024 billed as Mach FoX. But we were doing a set of Zwaremachine songs to feel out this lineup. Luckily they decided to join the band and we have been working www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://23iMCSmeEqnHbNZ9uDRnvPQXp1cZ2ydzPzc7UdoLvCU#`̶hވx<@hވx<@בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://fTJfhNHuogdUA5zlmm4F-nxJpdo1cnMmtGypyoU6DQoe`׉ 7cassandra://AFcgIbxBe8gITClr126TqRQtH0AGZd4rOBMZ5WUP2Ooͦz`U׉ 7cassandra://TL8xi-1345V3SMWfMzuBtsWtERBfJu3qODtIv4MNNr8*`̶h)x<@טu׉׉ 7cassandra://fN7XXNLYGvelFEtBGTmQja2FE_Z6ZMWMLAKuv0I32msh`׉ 7cassandra://juI3z0w4_wsFyeWf8hw39bkjwSyj7pPvO3rKAjt87vY͏7`U׉ 7cassandra://hHD8WOA_KihDRB2ZA1NbhffKCa5_zEQDYryTr7TEm1M4`̶h)x<@נhFx<@6E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉EZWAREMACHINE hard since then on new songs and recordings. Even though Zwaremachine was sometimes referred to as your personal project, you worked with different people on an international level. What did you gain by involving other people in your project? I have always enjoyed collaborations but also the freedom to solely dictate the sound design and direction of the band. I started playing in punk and alternative bands that were much more of a voting democracy when writing and recording. When I started Zwaremachine as a solo project, and later adding additional members, I still wanted to produce the music myself and create the sonic vibe to fit my tastes for live performance. Along the way I have also brought in some outside producers.And bassist Dbot has contributed many songs as he is a talented musician and songwriter. Having the other contributors has given me more ideas to pull from and a stronger sound palette to work from. Zwaremachine is your main project, but you have your own solo project under your name Mach FoX. Why was it important to make a distinction between the two? I had been performing as Mach FoX since 2005 and the earliest albums were electro-rock style with a lineup that included two members that would later perform in Zwaremachine. Bassist Dbot joined Zwaremachine in late 2019 and Adam01 performed with Zwaremachine in 2018 during the release of the ‘Be A Light’ album. Once Zwaremachine became my main focus for live performance I still continued to write and release music as Mach FoX. I use that name to release music that does not quite fit the Zwaremachine sound. I am able to keep Mach FoX releases a bit more open in regards to genre. A new release by your solo project, Mach FoX, will be released, including segments played by both Bas Merxc/Dein Offizier and bass player Dbot. If I understand this well, these recordings were meant to be part of a future Zwaremachine release. Why do you release them solo? The original demo versions were intended for Zwaremachine but later evolved quite a bit and became so different that I did not feel they would fit in our live set. One intention when writing for Zwaremachine is that the songs should be more industrial/EBM style. After Bas passed away there were long periods of time when I just could not bring myself to work on those songs since it was too heavy to hear his drum on those tracks. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 20 - When Paul K joined the band on guitar and I got motivated to finish those songs and I decided to delete many of the original synth parts and record my guitar so the songs could become a bit more industrial rock. I just let my ideas flow into the recordings with no intentions of genre... figuring it was the Zwaremachine lineup of myself, Dbot and Dein Offizier on the recordings. It would then be our third album. But as the final mixes were coming together it was obvious the songs just were not going to fit in our live set, so it would be better to release them as Mach FoX, since I still liked the songs. I then could start fresh for the Zwaremachine album and get both Paul K and Marshal B on the new songs. The latest release by Zwaremachine was the EP‘Waking The Night’, which contains several singles and remixes. What was the idea behind this EP? Do you consider making new releases – and especially the third Zwaremachine full disc – soon? We did release a few singles intended for the third Zwaremachine album but I think we will start over for what will become that release. ‘Waking The Night’ became a bit of closure for our period with Bas/Dein Offizier since he also plays on that song. As a final tribute, we put his image on the artwork. After these Fall 2025 tour dates I will return to the US and prepare my studio for writing and recording sessions for the new Zwaremachine songs that will become our third album. You come from Minneapolis in Minnesota, the United States. The latest news from this region is about a shooting in a catholic school where two children died and seventeen got wounded. In the past, the goth community – I am thinking about the Columbine shooting in 1999 –was also associated with this kind of shootings. I would like to know your thoughts on these shootings. Any shootings like this should not be tolerated.The idea of killing innocent people is not something I can comprehend. I feel like things will get much worse before they get better. Xavier KRUTH zwaremachine.bandcamp.com/ www.facebook.com/zwaremachineBeautiful Freakin' ׉ 7cassandra://TL8xi-1345V3SMWfMzuBtsWtERBfJu3qODtIv4MNNr8*`̶hވx<@׉E"- 21 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://hHD8WOA_KihDRB2ZA1NbhffKCa5_zEQDYryTr7TEm1M4`̶hވx<@hވx<@בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://g8vnGpe1B5cLTCq8XZkglj_Vwx8S2AOD1GR3NhFnlxQ6`׉ 7cassandra://J6WczAlOv9yCBB1NT86Z2YZEm_xyN22jw1RzkZU_cf4̀`U׉ 7cassandra://T-zTu_3yjKezOgXa3BqoUfU_VfGwmQp0ktRdMasHEIc'`̶h/x<@טu׉׉ 7cassandra://a7YwpxThu4J0R5LsXmWrPFjuMVffxb2xlmu03yOrJhou`׉ 7cassandra://Gu_T37bm4g3xZCRQ14h6U2NbIryRLCmv4NtejbNCjqM͚k`U׉ 7cassandra://_aWX9t5DdIemNPhm4cRNp2LWjofQWlP-0MsZhWtOaIA*`̶h4x<@'נhGx<@=j 9ׁHhttp://play.Myׁ ׁ ЈנhGx<@<) 9ׁHhttp://work.Noׁ ׁ ЈנhGx<@;) 9ׁHhttp://own.Alׁ ׁ ЈנhGx<@:E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉EBEAUTIFUL FREAKIN' WEIRDO Weirdo is the solo project belonging to seasoned UK music veteran, Mick Pritchard. The new EP is 'Zap The Fear' and the latest single is "Psychohead". Fearless, Deliberate and commanding of respect, we're grateful to Mick for his time in answering a few of our questions about his songs and his project. Hello and thanks for answering the interview for our blog today. We usually like to start off by asking for a brief background for the readers that might not be familiar with a particular band. Would you kindly do so? I hail from the metal capital of the world-Birmingham, England. In the past, I had Black Sabbath’s management for two years and Diamond Head’s for ten years. In that time, I released two albums with my then band, Adrenalin Kick. We toured with such bands as Judas Priest, Almighty, Wildhearts, Wolfgang, Mind Funk and more. Throw some German festivals in the mix. This is my brand-new industrial metal dance project, Beautiful www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 22 - Freakin Weirdo. The world is full of Beautiful Freakin Weirdos and we have a voice. It’s a movement for all the caring crazy heads out there who just love life and just want to get on with it with as little drama and bullshit as they can; real people with real lives and good hearts and souls. The latest release is the single, “I Am Fire.” What kind of genesis did the song have to go through before you were happy with the final product? “I Am Fire” was one of those songs that just organically popped up from nowhere. I had spent the day in the studio recording another song and was going back in for a final mix the next day.While lying in bed at night, I had the idea of “I Am Fire” come into my head. So I scrapped the other song and recorded “I Am Fire”. It was a great decision and as random as it gets. I swear by the studio I have used for a long time, so the end product is never an issue. ׉ 7cassandra://T-zTu_3yjKezOgXa3BqoUfU_VfGwmQp0ktRdMasHEIc'`̶hވx<@׉EDo you think that you’ll adopt a release plan that is perhaps less full-length albums and more singles, remixes and Eps? I would love to make an album. I have about three albums worth of great songs. But, I think in the present climate, I will stick to singles and perhaps another ep. Scenario: You are stranded on some island but you had the capability to put a flash drive with three of your most important songs into a sealed bottle and send it out to the world. These are songs that mean the most to you and best represent your legacy. What are they and why did you choose them? Song 1,“I Am Fire”. This song means so much to me as it was a clear message back to the powers that be. Telling them no one will ever take my freedom or that of the human race. Covid and the lockdowns stank from the get-go , and as it is becoming quite clear now, my gut feeling and the fire within my soul was right.We all have fire within. Never let it be doubted by anyone. Always have self-belief! Song 2 ,“Psycho Head”. This is a song about everyone's split-personality, the real you, and the version of you that the Matrix grows and manipulates from your first breath. Red pill? Blue pill? Both are designed to control. Take neither.We are all in control of our own destinies. Song.3 ,“Sideways Through Life”.“Sideways” in nature is constantly having to avoid the rules. You simply look both ways and then go sideways and go around the bullshit-the claustrophobic rules of control Could you give us some insight into your studio, your “tools of the trade” so to speak? How much is hardware/physical instruments and how much is based on softsynths and the like? My first two albums were recorded in analogue where if you messed it up, you did it again and again until you got it right. Now I use Logic and sometimes Pro Tools although both are a minefield. But you get there in the end and the things you can do are of the dial. But it’s easy to crawl up your own ass with it because you can. So, I always have that in mind when recording. Less is more. Some artists often engage in certain rituals when composing in the certain studio or before performing. - 23 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be Ex: They may like to have certain items around, They may do certain pre-show preparation, They may do things like meditation. Are there any particular rituals you do before writing or performing? No. I don’t have any rituals. I’m one of those people who crosses bridges when I come to them and everything I do is in the here and now. I’m also awesome at adlibbing which always comes in handy Some artists have resorted to using AI for the likes of cover art and even videos. What’s your feeling on that? Do you think that it’s already gotten out of control and maybe is an excuse for lack of creativity? Or do you think people are still inserting a bit of human/organic quality into what’s being produced? I don’t use AI at the moment for anything. All my music is recorded by me, produced by me and written by me. I am not having AI steal my vision from my crazy mind. It can get its own.All my videos are shot and edited by the same company who I totally trust with my vision and the way I want it to be perceived by everyone. They are fantastic, a certain Mr. Nick J Townsend and his company, Weak 13. What do you anticipate for the coming months? Side projects, shows, more releases? In the coming months I’m concentrating on live gigs. I’ve done the work.Now it’s time to play.My live shows? I tell people that they won’t be coming to a gig. They will be coming on a journey into my heart, mind n soul all taking in place in a far away magic mushroom forest where anything can happen and usually does. Escapism is always a big part of what I do. I like to surprise, I like to be freaky, I like to be and i am in real life “out there”. That’s the only place where new experiences exist, a place where no man has ever been. William ZIMMERMAN ׉ 7cassandra://_aWX9t5DdIemNPhm4cRNp2LWjofQWlP-0MsZhWtOaIA*`̶hވx<@hވx<@בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://e9eICJ3PuLiRUPp-ZNTD-D57mFcTV89URVvW09c-iUso`׉ 7cassandra://CYVZq0bZWqmUZXtSwLl6aPuR7jT1HYNNjDkmNC1UUU0ͫ`U׉ 7cassandra://sNHGhLOi68j0a4s1HAxLqKg5P0xUvRKoT_7lzdsqNfg/`̶hNEW-WAVE / EBM & MORE < @ Fetish Café, Antwerp [BE] Danceable Weird Shit Spun By Bodybeats Resident Dj Borg & DJ Albi Voombastic. No Dresscode But Dress To Impress Could Get A Free Cocktail! 20.11 D.A.F. + SKELETAL FAMILY + KORINTHIANS @ Jc De Klinker, 3200 Aarschot [BE] Daf - Exlusive Belgian Show 21.11 THE JUGGERNAUTS @ Carolo Culture, Charleroi [BE] 29.11 A BLACK CELEBRATION WITH COLLAPSING NEW PEOPLE (LIVE) @ 't Kaboske, 3740 Bilzen [BE] Doors 19:45 Movie/docu Fad Gadget - Frank Tovey: 20:00 Collapsing New People: 21:30 Afterparty Stefan Wuyts (ftlonw) 06.12 COLLAPSING NEW PEOPLE + NOTORIOUS (A TRIBUTE NIGHT) @ De Wommel, Wommelgem [BE] A Tribute To New Wave Icons + Een Stomende Party Met De Beste New Wave, Ebm En Gothic Tracks. 19.12 BIMFEST XXIII - DAY 1 @ De Casino, St-niklaas [BE] with CRYPTOCHROMA / NORDARR / ZWEITE JUGEND EMPATHY TEST + W.Y.H.I.W.Y.G. Afterparty with DJ BORG 20.12 BIMFEST XXIII - DAY 2 @ De Casino, St-niklaas [BE] BIMFEST DAY 2 - SATURDAY 20.12 with EUFORIC EXISTENCE / THEY FEEL NOTHING / AKALOTZ / FRETT / MAJESTOLUX / PROJECT-X / HAUJOBB /CAT RAPES DOG & afterparty W.Y.H.I.W.Y.G. with DJ BORG 27.12 WYHIWYG - BODYBEATS END OF THE YEAR PARTY @ Togenblik, Beveren [BE] with DJ BORG & friends + midnight special by PORNO KARAOKE (live) & DJ BORG 31.12 DARK NEW YEAR’S EVE @ Popclub (upstairs Rumba), Leuven [BE] Dj’s: The Black Widow, Malcolm Nix, … 17.01 MIXED VISIONS' 22ND ELECTRO INDUSTRIAL TOP 100 @Aalmoezenier, Antwerpen [BE] Dj's Philter & Gdw 21.02 NITZER EBB @ INTERNATIONAL EBM DAY 2026 @ De Casino, 9100 St- Niklaas [BE] Nitzer Ebb (exclusive Belgian Show!) + Siie (ch/d) + 3 more Tba! More Info & Tickets on www.bodybeats.be 23.02 KMFDM - 40 YEARS KMFDM TOUR @ De Casino, St. Niklaas, B More Info & Tickets on www.bodybeats.be 27.02 TYSKE LUDDER + THE JUGGERNAUTS @ Das Rind, Rüsselheim [DE] 14.03 DONKERE TIJDEN (3) I.S.M BLACK PLANET @ Dvg Club, 8500 Kortrijk [BE] Plastikstrom (de) , Black Snow In Summer + 1TBA 27.03 ELEKTROANSCHLAG 2026 - DAY 1 @ Tenne / Brewery Altenburg, Altenburg [DE] 28.03 ELEKTROANSCHLAG 2026 - DAY 2 @ Tenne / Brewery Altenburg, Altenburg [DE] 25.04 40 YEARS SUICIDE COMMANDO & FRIENDS @ Gc Den Dries, Retie [BE] with Suicide Commando, Leaether Strip, Emmon, The Juggernauts, Stin Scatzor … 06.06 TYSKE LUDDER + THE JUGGERNAUTS @ Kulttempel, Oberhausen [DE] 27.06 PEKKERSFEESTEN 2026 @ De Leest, Izegem [BE] Covenant Traitrs Merciful Nuns Ductape, Fragment >>>>>>>>>>>>>>Can’t find your event here? Then you failed to add it to our FREE online calendar!<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< - 35 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://7spsR_2bR83zUgLmMSpOM-hHKhl02gzzC_4xFRojovw1`̶hވx<@hވx<@בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://C_RRpHbxOFIojiDWxrFhX78AHfgL4Kq3KbPvn4FzqzU`׉ 7cassandra://ZMQgZwnaB3evgNKORaKkMy6mLyzwNqejgsBJkwVpENQ͔`U׉ 7cassandra://SB2ZifpwD3aTYQERRYwMtvXX4OxzIOrXzy1n4RdabV82`̶hax<@cנhbx<@fE9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉Ewww.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://SB2ZifpwD3aTYQERRYwMtvXX4OxzIOrXzy1n4RdabV82`̶hވx<@׈Ehވx<@hވx<@,Peek-a-Boo Magazine #50BFree independent alternative music magazine with a dark twitch ...h];f